25
Jul
Posted on 2008 under Kate - Remembering |
For those of you new to my blog, let me introduce you to FHF. Every Friday, I’ll ask a question and post my answer. If you wish to play along, you do the same on your blog! The idea is that when you finish answering the questions, you’ll have the basis for a personal (or if you ask your parents/grandparents/inlaws/other relatives a family) history! 
So, the question for this week is:
~Tell a courtship story about your parents: how they met, etc. Then tell the same about you.~
Note: If you have not yet had the opportunity to meet your sweetheart, tell about what you think it might be like to meet him.
My dad crashed a school-year-beginning ward social of some of his friends when they were at BYU. He was talking to a number of people when he noticed this pretty dark haired girl who was telling people about her work at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. He sauntered over to her and said casually: “Hey, I know what . . . how about I marry you so you can put me through school.” They both laughed and shrugged it off. The next day was a hot Utah Sunday, and my mother decided to take a walk after Church . . . to where my dad and his roommates were living. It was so hot that my dad couldn’t just let her walk home without inviting her in for some lemonade . . . the rest as they say is history.
After my birth-mother passed away in 1996, my dad was convinced he’d never marry again. He did, however, decide that he wanted to make friends with other LDS people around the country/world who had also lost a spouse; so he signed up for a profile at LDSFriends.com. He met a lovely lady from Lethbridge, Alberta Canada in the late fall of 1996, who had lost her husband to cancer in 1991. They conversed and became friends quickly. He visited her in Canada, and she visited him in Washington state, and they were engaged on Valentine’s Day 1997, and married in March of the same year.
I met my sweetheart online as well. After my mission, I was living in the Salt Lake valley and working to save money to go to Salt Lake Community College full-time. In June of 1998, I was able to have online access through the college, and happened upon ychat.com, an LDS chat site. I became friends with a group of people from chat, including a young man from British Columbia, Canada, named James. James and I became friends and best friends in the ensuing months, and we met in person/became engaged in February 1999 . . .
Hope you’ll decide to play along this week! Leave a comment in this post and your link in the Mr. Linky below!
18
Jul
Posted on 2008 under Kate - Blogging |
So sorry to anyone who tried to log in to comment today . . . My co-administrator and all-around hunky hubby was upgrading to wordpress 2.6 and something went slightly wonky (wordpress issue . . . not hunky hubby issue! 
)
However, my resident technical genius fixed said issue and all should be well now. Let me know if you have trouble though, and we’ll get you straightened out!
Because of the technical difficulties, there will be no FHF post this week . . .
16
Jul
Posted on 2008 under Kate - Thinking |
I am, by and large, known as a pretty nice person. I have quite a few friends, and seem to be the go-to girl of the bunch. If you want something done, ask Kate, she’ll be more than happy to help. If you need someone to pour out your soul to, talk to Kate, she’s got listening ears and great big hugs. So yeah, I’m known as a pretty fabulous person.
If only they knew! You see . . . up until recently there was this one girl that I simply HATED! It was so bad that every time I saw this girl I would cringe. Literally as well as on the inside. I was so uncomfortable being around this girl that I was MISERABLE!
What makes it even worse? That girl that I despised so much? Was me.
I’d look at pictures of me and instead of seeing the fabulous woman that everyone else saw? I. Saw. Fat. FATFATFATTYFATFATFATFAT! My husband saw one such picture and said “I LOVE this pic! Look how J is leaning on your shoulder like you 2 are the bestest of buds! (we are!)”, and what did I do? “Yeah, but look at how UGLY I am!”
So, I figured out that this attitude I had? Pretty much sucked.
I mean seriously, who am I to tear down one of Father in Heaven’s daughters like that? Does He enjoy hearing me put one of His supreme creations down in such a ruthless manner? I think not. Does He even SEE my fat when He looks at me? I think not also . . . I mean we’re told specifically in 1Samuel 16:7 that the Lord does NOT look on our outward appearance, but on our heart!
In addition to that, I absolutely KNEW that when others see a picture of me? They’re likely not saying “ohmyWORDdoessheneedtoloseweight!”. Yeah, it might be a fleeting thought, but then they’re likely on to remembering where the picture was taken and how awesome the occaision was. Like the example I used above . . . a group shot taken of all of us who went down to Calgary for Time Out for Women last fall. INCREDIBLE life-altering experience that . . . and all I can see is Fatty McFatPerson. GAH!
So, how exactly does one go about seeing themselves as Father and others see them? Could I get rid of this fatphobia that society has so “graciously” taught me?
I’m happy to say that I can and I did! I happened upon a few FA/HAES (Fat Acceptance/Healthy At Every Size) blogs and have been learning TONS! Well, perhaps not learning per se . . . but remembering what I really already knew in the first place.
I. Am. Fat. And you know what, there’s really nothing wrong with that! So long as I’m healthy and/or striving to be so. And I am!
Am I perfect in being healthy . . . in taking care of the body that Father gave me to use on this earth? Nope . . . but then none of us are! We’re all of us works in progress and as long as we’re progressing towards that end goal, the size/shape we are? Simply does not matter!
I’ve gotten a little bit exciteable about the whole HAES movement. It makes me sad when I see people put themselves down because they’re fat. I mean, seriously . . . most of the time they’re not even nearly as fat as I am! LOL
Fat and healthy? Is acheivable! I’m working towards that goal. I mean, hey . . . if my metabolism happens to speed up a little bit from the exercise I do, and I drop a few pounds . . . that’s cool . . . but if not . . . that’s cool too! I’m going to be the healthiest Kate I can be!
Now, there are a few readers out there who’ve elected to do things to lose weight. Do I shun them? Of course not! I applaud their efforts in doing what they feel is best for them to be healthy. Diets and WW . . . simply not for me personally .
With all that said (and I sincerely hope your eyes haven’t glazed over in boredom yet), I have a revelation:
This is me as of Sunday afternoon. No airbrushing (not that I know how to do it anyways! LOL) or anything. Pure, unadulterated Kate!
I. LOVE. This. Picture! I see the light-hearted friend, listening ears, great big squishy hugs, service-oriented, incredible musician, crafter, PERSON that I am! The fat? Is no longer an issue because I’m healthier (physically AND emotionally!) than I’ve been in YEARS! Yay!
Oh! And the kicky skirt I’m wearing? Designed and made that Saturday night! I so rock! 
And there you have it . . . fabulous me!
